Dana White once got jumped by 21 guys and lost hearing in one ear: “They beat the sh** out of me” 

Dana White is one of the most successful promoters in all of combat sports history, respected for his unmatched business knowledge. He successfully transformed it into a thriving, multi-billion dollar combat sports empire. However, before all of that incredible success, the Boston native endured many struggles and life challenges that ultimately shaped his career. 

White recently sat down with the former chairwoman of WWE, Stephanie McMahon, on her new podcast series. The pair talked about a variety of topics, including WWE, UFC, and personal incidents. During the conversation, McMahon asked White about the time he got jumped by 21 guys in Boston. While responding, the UFC CEO went into detail with everything that happened and its aftermath. 

White explained he got a call from the legal team of one of the original guys who started everything. They offered him a chance to testify, probably thinking he’d want to speak out and share his side officially. Instead, White chose to let it all go, simply hanging up the phone with a warning and not giving further involvement.

Dana White opens up — he was jumped by a group of guys at 21 and lost hearing in one ear. 😳👂
🎥 @WWE pic.twitter.com/00omLFym3j

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) April 17, 2025

It was a crazy story from White, but definitely not the most significant one he’s ever shared in interviews. White once talked about the story of being chased out of Boston by the Irish mob when he was younger. Back then, he worked as a boxing aerobics coach and managed a tiny business, but not so profitable.

Trouble began when a mafia demanded money White did not have, threatened him, and insisted on regular protection payments in the future. White realized the risk was serious and packed everything he booked a flight, fleeing Boston without ever looking back.

He moved to Las Vegas and began managing fighters such as Chuck Liddell, gaining experience in the world of combat sports. This helped him when he ultimately owned UFC in 2001 along with the Fertitta brothers. 

Dana White’s preferred martial arts for street fights 

Over his long career, Dana White has spent a lot of his watching fights and interacting with fighters from all around the world. He equally respects all kinds of disciplines, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, etc. In the world of combat sports, there has always been a debate about which martial arts is best for street fights.

As expected, White offered a thoughtful response during his interview with Lex Fridman when asked about martial arts training. He specifically addressed the difference between training daughters versus sons, emphasizing how their needs in self-defense can vary significantly. He highlighted BJJ’s ability to empower smaller individuals, making it an ideal choice for self-defense training.

However, as a promoter, White doesn’t like the dominant BJJ fighters who stall without trying to finish. He prefers strikers who push forward, create chaos, and give fans the knockouts and action they came to experience. In his view, safe grappling is playing not to lose, not truly fighting to win that hurts the audience.

Related: Dana White’s Parents: Did they have a good relationship with the UFC CEO?

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